All Things Considered

Islabikes
Posted by Kate Sullivan

I hadn’t realised just how awful the choice was for quality kids' bicycles until we started searching to buy an upgrade for our 6 year old. At first we were looking for something not too dissimilar to a Dutch ‘sit-up-and-beg’ bike but we found nothing. We found childrens' versions of the bikes we own and they weren't bad, but they seemed heavy and the brakes unreachable for small hands. We then discovered through various forums that Islabikes had a fantastic reputation.

"Isla has put her years of cycle design experience and practical cycling knowledge together to produce a range of exclusive bikes for children. She has searched the world for suitable tiny components, and where they have not been available has had them made.

All bikes have child specific frame geometry and a full set of proportional components, including brakes that can be operated safely with small hands. Gear ratios are carefully selected to suit the age of the child. Each bike can be customised at the point of purchase with tyres that exactly suit the intended use - you can also have a set of full mudguards and a carrier. This way each bike can be used for mountain biking and cyclo cross, as a track racing machine at your local track league, for going to school, touring holidays or days out exploring with the family."

Bikes can be ordered online http://www.islabikes.co.uk or you can visit them at their base in Ludlow.

Posted by Kate Sullivan on April 14th, 2010

David Gentleman
Posted by Simon Lewin

This week sees the opening of a new exhibition at the Fine Art Society on Bond Street.

'David Gentleman at Eighty' celebrates the 80th birthday of this artist and designer who has worked in a range media - wood engraving, watercolour and lithography.

The exhibition also sees the launch of a new edition of 'Ask The Fellows Who Cut The Hay' by George Ewart Evans (Gentleman's father-in-law) which is illustrated throughout by 60 of the artist's beautiful watercolour paintings and drawings. David worked on the images all through the summer, autumn and winter of 2009 in Blaxhall, the Suffolk village on which the book is centred.

The exhibition runs at the Fine Art Society, 148 New Bond Street, London, during March and April 2010. You can find out more about the book via the Full Circle website.

Posted by Simon Lewin on March 23rd, 2010

Henry Moore
Posted by Angie Lewin

I walked my usual route from Pimlico tube to Tate Britain this morning to see the Henry Moore exhibition. I've loved these pollarded plane trees in John Islip Street since I was a student. They looked as good as ever against today's blue sky. The exhibition was impressive and inspiring too. Keeping to the tree theme, a series of reclining figures carved in elm were both a highlight and a sad reminder of the loss of these beautiful trees from our landscape.

The Henry Moore exhibition runs at Tate Britain until 8th August 2010. More

Posted by Angie Lewin on March 23rd, 2010

Indian Spring – Toby Morison
Posted by Simon Lewin

Illustrator Toby Morison has an exhibition of Indian watercolours opening at the Coningsby Gallery in London next week.

The thirty images were painted on the spot in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujaret.

Toby Morison studied at the Royal College of Art. He was a founder member of the influential Big Orange studio and has worked internationally as an illustrator for the past twenty years. He is the author of Little Louis Takes Off (Simon and Schuster 2006).

Toby has always travelled widely - often with a sketchbook as companion. He has an abiding fascination and love for India. These images were painted on streets and from rooftops and balconies - often with a small audience in attendance. From a teeming Delhi through the holy town of Pushkar, to the blue washed city of Jodhpur and the boat building port of Mandvi on the shores of the Arabian Ocean these images reflect the vibrancy, ingenuity, colour and humour of India.

The exhibition runs from 8th March 2010 until 13th March 2010 at The Coningsby Gallery, 30 Tottenham Street, London W1T 4RJ. Website

Posted by Simon Lewin on March 3rd, 2010

Bird Watch
Posted by Kate Sullivan

The cold snap last month made me realise the importance of feeding our wild birds. We melted lard, adding handfuls of nutritious seeds and nuts and now feed them constantly throughout the day - making sure the greedy pigeons don't consume more than their fair share. 

Watching the different birds arriving to our city garden is a joy, so much so that I plan on spending an hour at the weekend noting down which birds fly in and out of our patch as part of the annual RSPB survey. This study has been running for over 30 years and is vital in highlighting the habits and population of birds in the UK.

If you'd like to take part visit http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch. The survey runs from 30th -31st January 2010.

And here's a member of artist Emily Sutton's handmade flock (unfortunately all sold out). Emily's currently working on a fabric for St. Jude's - sign up for our e-mail newsletter for details.

Posted by Kate Sullivan on January 29th, 2010

Caught By The River
Posted by Simon Lewin

We've talked about Caught By The River a fair bit this year - it's one of the websites I find myself visiting most frequently.

Their book, a collection of words on water, was published earlier this year and is a joy. I've got a copy, but if I didn't, I'd be hoping for one for Christmas. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in rivers or the great outdoors in general. You can purchase a copy direct online.

Posted by Simon Lewin on December 16th, 2009

The High Line
Posted by Angie Lewin

Built in the 1930s, the High Line was an elevated railway cutting through New York's Meatpacking and West Chelsea districts. Since the last train ran in 1980 nature has taken over - wild flower seeds have blown in, grasses and trees have naturalised. Friends of the High Line was founded to save it from demolition and a design team working with Piet Oudolf as consultant are transforming the space into a public park high above the streets of Manhattan. Oudolf's bold drifts of herbaceous perennials and grasses will echo the way that nature has reclaimed the disused tracks. More about the High Line.

Posted by Angie Lewin on November 25th, 2009

Cairn Daimh
Posted by Angie Lewin

Just back from another stunning walk up to the top of Cairn Daimh. One of those hill walks that suddenly reveals all once you're at the top, with views to Ben Rinnes and the rest of Moray on one side and the Cairngorms on the other. Glorious. It's one of the many waywarked walks on the Glenlivet Estate.

Posted by Angie Lewin on November 15th, 2009

Bow Gamelan Ensemble
Posted by Simon Lewin

All of these autumnal pyrotechnics put in my mind of the Bow Gamelan Ensemble who I saw a few times in what must have been (from memory) the mid-late 80s.

In 1983 Paul Burwell, Richard Wilson and Anne Bean formed the Ensemble, described in Burwell's 2007 obituary in The Independent as "a multi-media urban-junk-and-pyrotechnics percussion trio".

Here the Bow Gamelan Ensemble reunite with others to perform on Wilson's boat the Slice of Life (a slice of a tug boat on the river Thames in London). More about the Ensemble

Posted by Simon Lewin on November 7th, 2009

Gavin Maxwell
Posted by Simon Lewin

Caught most of a programme on Radio 4 this morning, presented by Terry Nutkins. I have memories of him presenting Animal Magic and the like.

I hadn't realised he had spent time working with Gavin Maxwell, best known for Ring Of Bright Water - a book about his love for otters and wildlife in general.

The programme was an intriguing and very personal profile of a clearly 'complex' man, but it left me feeling drawn back to the Highlands - but the almost cliff-hanger ending suggests that next week's episode will explore a slightly darker side to the story. This second episode will be broadcast on Friday 23rd October. You can listen to the first episode via the BBC website for the next few days.

Posted by Simon Lewin on October 16th, 2009